Cartridge and bullet

ABSTRACT

A liquid-filled bullet has a bullet cap and a bullet base with a cavity therebetween, the cavity containing a liquid. The bullet base has a chamfer and an extension above the chamfer where the base mates with the bullet cap. The bullet cap is deformed and the cavity content released inside a target by pressure of the chamfered portion of the bullet base deforming the bullet cap.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to ammunition and in particularthe present disclosure relates to composition and structure ofcartridges and bullets.

BACKGROUND

Cartridges, or rounds, for firearms contain a small list of components.Typical cartridges include a casing designed to fit a specific firingchamber of a firearm. A bullet, the projectile portion of the round, isseated into the casing. The casing contains a primer and gunpowder topropel the bullet from the cartridge through the barrel of a firearm. Afiring pin of the firearm strikes the primer in the casing, igniting theprimer, which in turn ignites the gunpowder in the sealed firing chamberof the cartridge. The casing is open at the end where the bullet isseated, and the explosion of the gunpowder ejects the bullet from thecasing through the barrel of the firearm.

There are many different types of bullets, such as balls, jacketedbullets, hollow point bullets, tracers, and the like. Bullets havedifferent purposes. For example, ball bullets are used by treaty innearly all military operations. Hollow point bullets, which tend toexpand upon impact, are often used as stopping bullets for police orself-defense purposes.

Bullets carrying liquid, such as marking rounds and the like, aredesigned for a burst on a surface of a target, to impart dye or the likefor the purposes of identifying a target, or illuminating a target, orthe like. Marking rounds are not designed for penetration, and indeed,would not be suited for their purpose were they to be penetratingrounds. For at least these reasons, marking rounds are non-lethalrounds.

For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below whichwill become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading andunderstanding the present specification, there is a need in the art forimproved penetrating rounds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a cartridge according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a bullet according to another embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a view of a partially penetrated bullet such as the bullet ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of one type of expansion of a bullet such as the bulletof FIG. 2 during penetration of a target;

FIG. 5 is a view of another type of expansion of a bullet such as thebullet of FIG. 3 during penetration of a target; and

FIG. 6 is a view of a bullet cap according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the embodiments, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof. In thedrawings, like numerals describe substantially similar componentsthroughout the several views. These embodiments are described insufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice theinvention. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural, logical,and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope ofthe present invention.

The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in alimiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined onlyby the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents towhich such claims are entitled.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a cartridge having a bulletdesigned to contain a liquid component, and to have a structure toinduce deformation of the bullet only after penetration into a softtarget, to release the liquid after penetration and upon deformation.

The bullets of the present embodiments are designed for delivery tonon-armored/non-defended types of soft targets, that is, targets such asorganic materials, i.e., wood and/or materials, substances, or objectshaving an average matter density of less than approximately 1,800kilograms per cubic meter, that are subject to being damaged ordestroyed by typical ordnance. The bullets are designed to penetratebefore deformation and/or dispersal of a liquid within the bullet. Inorder to provide such a characteristic, the bullet design includes inone embodiment a deformable bullet cap and a bullet base defining aliquid filled cavity therebetween. The bullet and the cartridge may bedesigned with specific bullet and cartridge dimensions to inducedeformation upon penetration into a target, such as by adjusting thedimensions of the bullet base and bullet cap, and depending as well uponthe caliber and load of the cartridge.

A cartridge 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure isshown in FIG. 1. Cartridge 100 comprises casing 102 and bullet 104.Bullet 104 is seated in casing 102, which also houses a primer andpowder, not shown. Bullet 104 comprises a bullet base 106 mated to abullet cap 108, the base 106 and cap 108 defining a cavity or chamber110 therebetween.

Referring also to FIG. 2, a bullet 104 is shown in a more detailedexploded view. Bullet 104 comprises the bullet base 106 and bullet cap108, with the bullet base 106 and the bullet cap 108 mated together,defining (FIG. 1) a cavity 110 therebetween. Base 106 in one embodimentcomprises a chamfered construction with a chamfered end 202 and anon-chamfered end 204. The chamfered end 202 has a chamfer 206 betweenbase body 208 and an extension (e.g., projection) 210, the extension 210having a height 216. Between the extension 210 and the chamfer 206 is ashoulder 207. When the bullet base and bullet cap are joined, the base212 of the cap 108 is abutted to the shoulder 207, and the extension 210extends into an opening 114 in the cap 108, as shown in FIG. 1.

The extension 210 may be sized in length to extend into the opening 114in the bullet cap 108 by an amount equal to its height 216, to inducepenetration of the bullet into a target prior to deformation of thebullet, in one embodiment from pressure of the bullet cap 108 on thechamfered portion 206, as described below. The characteristics of thedeformation may be modified by modifying the extension 210 length 216,the bullet cap 108 length and/or thickness, the shoulder width 218, thechamfer width 220, or any combination thereof.

The bullet base and cap define between them the cavity 110 shown inFIG. 1. The size of the cavity 110 may be determined by sizing of thecap 108 and the extension 210. The cavity may be liquid filled in oneembodiment, and the choice of liquid may be from any number of liquidswithout departing from the scope of the disclosure.

The chamfer width 220 and shoulder width 218 are determined, in oneembodiment, so as to maintain integrity of the bullet 104 upon firing,by absorbing at least some of the deforming pressure of firing thebullet 104 on the shoulder 207 without releasing the liquid that may becontained within cavity 110. Upon striking the soft target, the pressureof the shoulder 207 against the base 212 of the cap 108 in onedirection, as well as the pressure of the target on the cap 108 pressingthe base 212 into the shoulder 207, begins a process of fragmentation ordeformation of the cap 108 as described below.

Referring now also to FIG. 3, as the bullet begins to penetrate itstarget 302, traveling in the direction of arrow 304, the cap 108 beginsto deform as the chamfer 206 and shoulder 207 press against the cap end212, or slip past the cap end and begins to force the chamfer 206against the inner wall of the bullet cap, as shown at 306. As the bulletcontinues to penetrate further into the target, as shown in FIGS. 4 and5, the cap 108 is deformed, once penetration has occurred, to a point atwhich the liquid in the cavity 110 is released, as shown by arrows 402,into a cavity 404 formed in the target 302 by the impact and penetrationof the bullet 100 into the interior of the target. Depending on thecomposition of the bullet cap 108 versus the bullet base 106, the cap108 may, as shown in FIG. 5, tear or break apart from impact and/orpressure on the cap end 212 from the bullet base 106, allowing theliquid in the cavity 110 to be injected into the cavity 404 along pathsincluding those shown by arrows 502.

In one embodiment, the height 216 of the extension 210 determines howfar the bullet 100 will penetrate into a target such as target 302 shownin FIGS. 3-5 before deforming and allowing release of the liquid incavity 110 into the interior of the target. In another embodiment, shownin top and side elevation view in FIG. 6, the bullet cap 108 has grooves602 formed therein to induce deformation of the cap 108 upon penetrationinto a target such as target 302.

In another embodiment, a ratio of the shoulder width 218 to the chamferwidth 220 is chosen, based, for example, on the caliber of the bullet104, the powder used in the bullet, the bullet weight, and the like. Theshoulder width 218 to chamfer width 220 ratio allows for the maintenanceof balance between stability of the round during firing and thedeformation and/or fragmentation of the bullet 104 upon contact andentry into the soft target.

CONCLUSION

A liquid-filled bullet for a cartridge has been described that includesa bullet base and a bullet cap mated together to define a cavitytherebetween. The cavity may contain the liquid. A chamfered portion ofthe bullet base induces deformation of the bullet cap to release theliquid upon penetration of the bullet into a target.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the artthat any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose,may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This applicationis intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the presentinvention. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention belimited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

1. A liquid-filled bullet, comprising: a bullet base, the bullet basehaving a chamfered construction with a chamfered end and a non-chamferedend; a bullet cap, the bullet base mated with the bullet cap at thechamfered end; wherein the bullet cap and the bullet base define acavity within the bullet; and a liquid contained within the cavity. 2.The bullet of claim 1, wherein the chamfered end has a chamfered portionbetween the bullet body and a smaller diameter extension, the extensionfitting an opening in the bullet cap.
 3. The bullet of claim 2, whereina smaller diameter extension is sized in length to extend into theopening in the bullet cap by an amount to induce penetration of thebullet into a target prior to deformation of the bullet from pressure ofthe bullet cap on the chamfered portion.
 4. The bullet of claim 2,wherein the chamfered portion and the smaller diameter extension areseparated by a shoulder.
 5. The bullet of claim 4, wherein a width ofthe shoulder and a width of the chamfered portion are configurable forcontrolling deformation of the bullet cap upon penetration of a target.6. The bullet of claim 4, wherein the bullet cap is a rounded cap, andwherein an open end of the cap fits around the smaller diameterextension at the shoulder.
 7. The bullet of claim 6, wherein a length ofthe smaller diameter extension is sized to extend into the bullet cap adistance sufficient to ensure penetration of the bullet into a targetprior to deformation of the bullet.
 8. The bullet of claim 1, whereinthe bullet cap is grooved to induce deformation of the bullet cap uponpenetration of a target.
 9. A method of delivering a liquid into atarget with a bullet, the method comprising: firing a bullet into thetarget, the bullet configured to release a liquid into the target onlyupon penetration of the bullet into the target.
 10. The method of claim9, wherein the bullet comprises a bullet cap mated to a chamfered bulletbase, and defining a liquid-filled cavity therebetween, the chamfer ofthe bullet base inducing deformation of the bullet cap only uponpenetration of the bullet into the target.
 11. A firearm cartridge,comprising: a casing containing a primer and powder ignitable bystriking the primer; and a bullet seated in the casing, the bulletcomprising: a bullet base, the bullet base having a chamferedconstruction with a chamfered end and a non-chamfered end; a bullet cap,the bullet base mated with the bullet cap at the chamfered end; whereinthe bullet cap and the bullet base define a cavity within the bullet;and a liquid contained within the cavity.
 12. The firearm cartridge ofclaim 11, wherein the chamfered end of the bullet base has a chamferedportion between the bullet body and a smaller diameter extension, theextension fitting an opening in the bullet cap.
 13. The cartridge ofclaim 12, wherein the smaller diameter extension is sized in length toextend into the opening in the bullet cap by an amount to inducepenetration of the bullet into a target prior to deformation of thebullet from pressure of the bullet cap on the chamfered portion.
 14. Thecartridge of claim 12, wherein the bullet cap is a rounded cap, andwherein an open end of the cap fits around the smaller diameterextension.
 15. The cartridge of claim 14, wherein a length of thesmaller diameter extension is sized to extend into the bullet cap adistance sufficient to ensure penetration of the bullet into a targetprior to deformation of the bullet.
 16. The cartridge of claim 11,wherein the bullet cap is grooved to induce deformation of the bulletcap upon penetration of a target.